Rowell Family Crest

The English surname Rowell is an habitational name, a variant of Rothwell (representing the local pronunciation of the place in Northamptonshire), or from a place in Devon, so named from Old English ruh meaning “rough, or overgrown” and hyll meaning “hill.” The name is first recorded in 1273 when Letitia de Rowelle is registered in “ The Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire.” A notable bearer of the name was George Augustus Rowell 1804 - 1892, a meteorologist. He originally followed the trade of a cabinet-maker, later he studied astronomy, and published letters and papers on meteorological subjects. There are approximately 15,000 bearers of the name Rowell in the United States today.